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Public Utility District No.1, in compliance with the Endangered Species Act, will undergo an installation of upgraded fish protection screens at its two water intakes on the Nooksack River near Ferndale. Plant 1, built in 1965 is downstream of Ferndale and Plant 2, built in 1971 is upstream of Ferndale. Screen installations were considered state-of-the-art when built.
Preliminary designs for the new screens was completed in August 1999. The existing traveling screens at Plant 1 would be replaced with a series of cylinder T-screens aligned along the existing river bank. T-screens would be located in front of the existing intake and in a downstream direction, near the river bottom so they would be submerged at least 6" at the lowest river level.
The overall approach for the new screens at Plant 2 would be to replace the existing vertical traveling screens two T-screens mounted on the existing intakes outside wall.
The Public Utility District in is the process of obtaining permits to begin construction of the screens.